Ella's Ally

Meeting the Apprentices

Going to the stable, Ella gets on Major as I mount Dia. We then both ride through the field into the woods near the house. Me and Dia slightly behind Ella and Major. Then, both horses rear up with a frightened neigh as a big, antler animal in front of us makes a stance of defense.

I look up, my tears drying, in wonder at the size of it. Ella calms our horses down, as 'big guy' looks into our eyes. He snorts and seems scared. "Woah..." I urge Dia slowly, closer to him with my hand out.

Until we hear horns and shouts. I turn to look at Ella as she has realization in her eyes. She turns towards 'Big Anty' as I have decided to call him and in a hurried and rushed voice, she leans forward, "Run! Quickly my friend, or they'll catch you! Go!" Big Anty snorts with something resembling a nod, and runs.

However the sudden action frightens Dia and she sprints off, scaring me. She sprints faster than she's ever gone and I feel tears of fear running down my face as a scream rips out of my throat. I gripped Dia tightly, scared.

I can nearly hear the horns anymore over Dia's hooves, my screams, and Ella's ever distant cry. "ELLA! HELP!!!!! IM SCARED!"

"Major speed up! I'M COMING ALEXIS!!! DIA CAlM DOWN EASY! Major come on!"

"ELLA!!!!!!!!!!" 

Suddenly Someone was beside me. They reached over and gently but firmly grabbed Dia's mane, and I heard a male voice, "Woah, easy easy, slow down." I feel Dia slow down with the stranger as I slowly easy my grip and try to calm my breathing.

I then look up to my savior. He is tall, on a chocolate brown horse with a saddle and reigns. He has kind blue eyes and looks to be around Ella's age, and he says in a calm voice, "are you alright?"

I then hear hooves behind us and turn to see Ella with another boy on a horse, looking similar to the first but he had green eyes and looked to be about my age, maybe a year older. 

"Ella!"

"Alexis!"

"Kit!"

The two males got next to each other as I got next to Ella. The male who helped me looked at me again, though now we were diagonally across from each other, "Are you alright?"

Ella looked at me, "Y-yeah, I am. But you scared him!"

The two males looked confused and the one my age looks at me, "who?"

"The stag!"

"Mr Big Anty!" They look amused but I carry on, "What has he ever done to you?"

The younger one laughs slightly with the older one before looking back to us, "I must confess, we have never met him before."

The older one looks toward Ella, "He is a friend of yours?"

"An acquaintance. We met just now. I looked into his eyes and he looked into mine and I just felt he had a great deal left to do in his life, that's all."

"Besides, he is quite sweet and gentle when not scared."

The older one speaks up again, "Miss what do they call the two of you?"

Both our faces and demeanors dimmed. Neither of us felt like ourselves anymore... Ella was still Ella but she felt like Cinderella. And I was Trash Rat.

"Never mind what they call me, though she--"

"Never mind what I am called." I hung my head as I see Ella glance at me in confusion. 

The younger of the two males speaks up, after having been quiet for a while,, "You shouldn't be this deep in the forest alone."

"We aren't alone. We have each other and now we are with the two of you. Mister..."